James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Shun Classic Asian Knife Set of 2 | Granton Santoku & Paring, VG-10 Cutlery w/ Pakkawood
1 min read
Adding these two knives to your kitchen lineup could greatly improve the quality of your day. The santoku and paring knife from Shun Cutlery will handle most of the vegetable slicing and prep work you do.
Based in Seki City, Japan, where the best samurai swords were once made, Shun Cutlery adapts those old methods by combining them with modern technology and materials. Using VG-10 high carbon stainless steel as the cutting core of their blades, Shun adds outer layers of tougher SUS410 stainless steel in a Damascus-type construction. The result is a hard cutting edge enclosed in a resilient sandwich of 16 tough stainless steel layers on each side.
Rat tail tangs of the knives are enclosed in D-shaped ebony-black handles of another modern material called Pakka-wood. Layers of hardwood are injected with fiberglass resin and then stacked to form this durable grip. The Pakka-wood resists moisture and heat and remains stable so that gaps between handle and steel never open. The flat side of the handle helps orient fingertips in line with the blade and to maintain control of the knife’s cutting action.
The large knife here, a santoku with seven inches of cutting edge, features a granton ground edge. Multiple hollows ground into the blade decrease cutting friction and help separate slices of food from the knife. The layered steel itself has a similar effect. The smaller paring knife’s cutting edge measures 3-1/2 inches. Both knives are dishwasher safe, but hand washing helps preserve the finish and protects the razor-sharp cutting edges. The set includes a beautiful fabric-lined bamboo presentation case.
James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
The Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
Adding these two knives to your kitchen lineup could greatly improve the quality of your day. The santoku and paring knife from Shun Cutlery will handle most of the vegetable slicing and prep work you do.
